Into the River
by melakhim
Summary: When Bianca realizes that Death has gone missing, she knows that Nico will return for her to bring her back to the world of the living. Bianca has a choice to make- but thankfully she doesn't have to do it alone. Slight Lee/Bianca.


**A/N: Oneshot about Bianca's choice to be reborn… this is how I think it happened. I like to think that she didn't just choose rebirth to shoot for the Isles of Blest, because that seems really harsh on Nico and I think that she wouldn't have done that to her little brother again. Kind of Bianca/Lee, but it's not the focal point.**

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><p>"I'm assuming that isn't good." Michael Yew said as he gazed up at the flashes of light overhead and the sharp bangs that accompanied them, his ferrety eyes squinting as he did so.<p>

Bianca di Angelo shook her head grimly. Throughout the Underworld, an undercurrent of worry and dread threatened to sweep them all away. The shades in the Fields of Asphodel were quieter than usual, occasionally exchanging hushed whispers, and even in Elysium things were more subdued than usual; the typical smell of barbecue wafting through the air was absent today. And, as always, tortured screams rose from the Fields of Punishment, making Bianca grimace inwardly.

"What's going on up there?" Lee Fletcher asked, sounding abnormally calm, considering that the sky of the Underworld was beginning to tear apart. His long, elegant fingers fiddled with the Camp Half-Blood necklace on his neck, rolling the beads around.

Bianca opened her mouth to answer, but then a loud explosion split their ears. Another flash of light lit up the Underworld, blinding Lee and Michael. Bianca, however, shielded her eyes and peered upwards.

There was a thin crack in the dark, cavernous ceiling of the Underworld. Through it, Bianca could see a magnificent light and a sliver of blue sky.

Before she could get a better look at the world of the living a dark mass swept across the air- it was her dad, riding in his shadowy chariot, helm of darkness crowning his forehead. Even from afar, Bianca could see the haggardness in his face, the tiredness that cut deeply in each wrinkle on his forehead.

"What's happening?" The low, gravelly voice of Charles Beckendorf greeted Bianca's ears. The son of Hephaestus walked up to them, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

Beckendorf was holding hands with Silena Beauregard, whose black hair cascaded gracefully past her shoulders and blue eyes sparkled despite the calamity. Upon her arrival to the Underworld about a year ago, Beckendorf had readily forgiven her for being Kronos's spy. Silena had been so happy to see Beckendorf again, and he her. Despite the fact that she had been a Hunter, Bianca was happy for them- it was obvious that they found Elysium in one another.

There was another burst of light, and this time Bianca closed her eyes. When she did, the sense of unease grew even stronger. Something- no, someone, was missing, and this person played a vital role in the workings of the Underworld.

_Chains. _Something in Bianca's mind whispered. _Ice. Death._

"Thanatos." She said aloud, opening her eyes.

"The God of Death?" Silena asked, confused. "What about him?"

"He's missing." Bianca bit her lip in worry.

"How do you know?" Lee asked, his eyes filled with alarm at the disturbing news.

Bianca shrugged. She honestly didn't know how she understood these things- she just... knew. Maybe since Hades was her dad, she instinctively knew stuff about death and the Underworld.

"If the Death is missing..." Michael began to ask. "Does that mean that Monsters won't...die?"

"Technically, they don't die..." Lee rectified.

"You know what I mean." Michael said to his older half-brother with a sigh. He then turned to Bianca. "But is that right? Monsters won't get sent back to Tartarus now that Thanatos is missing?"

Bianca winced and closed her eyes again. She was sure of it now- the sense of danger rose even more, heightening her senses. Michael was right- many slain monsters weren't being sent to Tartarus. She could feel it in her blood- her dad was fighting the monsters that wouldn't die.

"They won't be sent back to Tartarus- not all of them. In fact- I think some of them were... resurrected." Bianca said aloud, her voice sounding more certain than she would have liked.

"Who would have the power to kidnap Thanatos _and_ the nerve and need to resurrect an army of indestructible monsters?" Silena asked, her voice a bit shrill due to uneasiness. "I mean, besides..." Silena trailed off. Kronos was still not an easy subject for the daughter of Aphrodite, considering everything that had happened in her lifetime.

Bianca shook her head. "I don't know..." She faltered for a moment before plowing on. "All that I _do _know is that if Death isn't found, then disaster is going to wreak the Underworld. The dead and the living will mix."

"Does that mean that the dead can be brought back to life?" Beckendorf asked coolly.

"I think so." Bianca said, her voice breaking. "If someone comes to... bring them back." _Not them- us. If someone comes to bring us back, we will become alive again. The barriers between the living and the dead are going to shatter and all hell will break loose- literally._

Lee Fletcher's eyebrows shot upwards. "Wait," He said, raising his hands up. "You mean, if someone were to come here right now, they could bring us back up there and we'd be- alive?"

Bianca nodded solemnly. "Without Thanatos, there's nobody to keep the shades from passing to the world of the living, and vice versa."

Beckendorf shook his head. "This isn't good." He said softly, his voice radiating a sort of commanding power even after death. "You don't have to be a child of Hades to see _that_."

"I wonder if anyone will come back for us..." Silena mused. "I don't think I'd want to go back."

_Nico._ Bianca thought to herself. _He's coming back._

Of course he was. An ache settled in her chest- she hadn't seen him since the time he'd tried to summon their mother. Still, Bianca knew that Nico was going to come back for her, to try and bring her back to life. Ever since she had sacrificed herself for Percy, Grover, Thalia, and Zoë on the quest, he had never been the same. He wasn't just a Mythomagic loving kid anymore- he had become someone entirely different, altered by prophecies and the dead.

He was going to find her, and bring her back.

More flashes illuminated the cavern of the Underworld, revealing slivers of blue sky and the scent of the rich earth. Bianca closed her eyes again and sat down in the rainbow grass. She needed to think.

Bianca had been selfish before- she knew that much. Joining the Hunters had been all for herself- she'd been tired of taking care of Nico all the time. As much as she loved him, being a big sister 24/7 was incredibly exhausting, and she had needed a break. Unfortunately, the only break that had been available was an eternal one. Bianca knew it had been really selfish of her, but she needed friends her own age for once in her life, even if her lifetime had extended only a few days after her decision to join the Hunters.

Now, she was faced with another decision. _To become alive or to not become alive, that is the question. _Nico was going to come for her soon, with the hopes that Death (assuming he ever got back to his post after being kidnapped) wouldn't notice Bianca's absence in the Underworld.

Bianca had been selfish in her lifetime, abandoning her brother. She didn't want to do that again.

As she made her decision, she tried to convince herself that it was the right thing to do.

"I'm going to the River Lethe." Bianca announced. Her rather motley group of friends stared at her in shock.

"Why?" Michael asked, astonished, his ferrety face scrunching up in astonishment.

"Rebirth. Why else?"

"But- why rebirth?" Silena asked. She and Bianca hadn't been on wonderful terms at first, considering that their patron goddesses were pretty much polar opposites, but after awhile, they had come to be friends.

"It's my brother-Nico." Bianca whispered. She was afraid that tears would start spilling down her olive colored cheeks. "He's going to come back for me- but I can't let him. It's not right- the balance of life and death would be disturbed."

It was true- going back with Nico when he came would be wrong. But the thing was, she wanted to go back with her brother. The allure of being alive again was so tempting. She would be able to feel the cool summer breeze and the sun on her skin; it would be another chance to be with Nico, to be a better sister.

Bianca took a deep breath, even though technically, she didn't need to, considering the fact that she was dead.

But to go back with Nico would be just as selfish as joining the Hunters, if not more. To rekindle his hope of having an older sister would be cruel for both of them, because it could never be. If Thanatos were to return, he would send Bianca back to the Underworld at her father's command, and she and Nico would be separated- again. It would be just like her dying all over again, but worse. And to do that to Nico intentionally was the most selfish thing Bianca could've ever done.

Bianca couldn't do that to her little brother. Nico was not going to get his hope shattered into pieces. Bianca knew Nico would be crestfallen when he came to Elysium only to find that she'd chosen rebirth, but dejection would be better than splintered hope. It would be better for all of them if she left before he came.

And yet, she _still _hesitated. Bianca wondered if perhaps her fatal flaw was not holding grudges like many other children of Hades, but selfishness. It would certainly make sense: her self-centered decisions had led to her death and Nico's initial misery and anger.

But no- this time, things would not be the same. Her fatal flaw would not get the best of her; Bianca would swear on the River Styx if she had to.

Bianca could sense that life was her destiny- just not through resurrection. Somewhere deep inside herself, she knew that the Fates had chosen another for Nico to bring back with him to the world of the living. Bianca's fate was another life, one through rebirth.

"You're going?" Lee asked. His eyes shone with sorrow. Bianca didn't know whether to feel flattered or offended by it, being an ex-hunter and all.

"I have to." Bianca replied, her voice sounding more confident than she expected. "I can't go back- it's not right."

Michael stared at her like she was crazy. Bianca could almost read the thoughts swirling through his head. _She's giving up another chance at life? Is she crazy? _Maybe she was.

Beckendorf, however, nodded solemnly and reverently. "I guess you'd understand that better than all of us, all things considered."

"You're really going to try out rebirth?" Michael asked incredulously. Bianca nodded.

"Make it back to Elysium, okay? We'll be waiting." Silena said, giving her a quick hug. The smell of designer perfume wafted over Bianca as she stepped away from the daughter of Aphrodite.

Bianca turned to Lee and felt a pang of sadness. She was going to miss him. Lee was a really good archer and could rival her own skills; they'd both spent some time in Elysium practicing archery, using barbecued steaks as their targets.

"I'm going to miss you." She told him with a small smile.

"No, you're not." Lee said. Bianca stared at him blankly until he finally sighed. "Because I'm coming with you."

"Wait- what?" Bianca had to close her gaping mouth to keep from attracting Underworld flies.

"I'm coming with you." Lee repeated, the shadows of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Rebirth and all?"

Bianca tried to process this information, her brain whirring at a hundred miles per hour. Bianca was secretly relieved. She would've still gone through rebirth, Lee or not, but it would be much easier to start a new life with a friend by her side. Granted, she and Lee wouldn't remember who they were once they took a dunk in the Lethe, much less each other, but still...

"Well, we'd better get going." Bianca said, her voice oddly hoarse. "Bye, you guys."

"We'll see you again, someday." Michael proclaimed. "But until then, have a nice new life."

"Thanks," Bianca gave the cynical son of Apollo a genuine smile.

She and Lee began their journey to the River Lethe. Several steps later, Bianca turned back and Silena waved her free hand in the air as a farewell. Right then and there, Bianca almost stopped, the little girl inside of her screaming that she was leaving her friends, her family here in the Underworld.

_Stay! _The child inside of her wailed. _What are you doing? You have everything here and your brother is coming back! Stay!_

With some difficulty, Bianca ignored the kid inside of her. She reminded herself that the selfish twelve-year old Bianca di Angelo had died inside of Talos on the Quest to save Artemis. Now it was her time to be selfless.

Bianca led Lee to the gates of Elysium.

"Wait-" She told him. "Can you stay here for just a few minutes? There's one last person I need to say good-bye to."

Lee nodded. "I have all the time in the world." He said coolly.

Bianca rushed down the hill to the golden castle that sat on its base. The light glinted off of the castle's golden walls, blinding and breathtaking. Hades had built this palace for Bianca's mother, just as he had promised all those many years ago.

She stepped inside, and immediately a woman with olive skin and Nico's eyes greeted her.

"Ah, Bianca, my daughter. It has been awhile, has it not?" Maria di Angelo flashed a smile that mirrored Bianca's.

"Hello, Mother." Bianca said with a small smile. She paused. "I came to say goodbye."

Maria's face softened. "You are going to the River Lethe." It was a statement, not a question.

Bianca nodded. "I have to- Death has gone missing and Nico will return for me."

"Ah, it is the right thing to do, my daughter. I am proud of you." Maria beamed and wrapped her daughter in a farewell hug. "Ti amo. Andate in pace."

"I love you too," Bianca said, a single, silvery tear spilling out onto her cheek.. "Goodbye, Mother."

"Farewell, my daughter." Maria di Angelo said. "I love you." They embraced one last time.

"Bianca!" Lee called when he saw her emerge from the palace. "Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Bianca replied stiffly. "Let's get going."

They continued their journey, exiting Elysium (with minor difficulty) to reach the Lethe, which served as the border between the Fields of Asphodel and Elysium.

Bianca stopped.

There, in front of her, was the River Lethe. It's milky white waters churned steadily downhill to wherever it was going. Ghoul Guards milled around its banks, taking inventory of those who were being reborn and such. One of the Furies- Megaera- was overseeing the process, looking fairly agitated at the group of ancient shades who were taking too long to jump into the River.

"Can we please hurry this up? I have spirits to punish!" Megaera snapped, tapping one of her clawed feet impatiently.

Finally, she signaled to one of the Ghoul Guards to shove the whole lot of spirits into the milky water, which it did.

The spirits tumbled into the opaque depths of the Lethe, swirling away. Later, they would be sent to Earth, a reincarnation of their former self.

"Next!" Megaera crowed. The spirits ahead of Bianca and Lee parted, sensing that the daughter of Hades was there.

Bianca and Lee cut the rest of the spirits, causing Megaera to look up in irritation.

"How many times do I need to tell you spirits that- Oh!" Megaera gave a start when she realized that Bianca was standing there. "Bianca di Angelo- hm, you've come for rebirth?"

"What else would I come for?" Bianca asked.

"There's no need to be smart," Megaera grumbled. "Do you want me to tell your father anything?"

Bianca thought for a moment. "Tell him I want to remember." She said to the Fury. "When I die in my next life- I want to remember who I was in my previous life."

Megaera thought for a moment before answering. "I'll see what I can do." It wasn't much- but it was something. "Go ahead and jump into the River." Megaera waved a clawed hand, ushering Bianca and Lee to the edge of the River Lethe.

Bianca stared down into the milky waters and took a deep breath. This was her destiny, her act of selflessness.

"Goodbye, Lee." She smiled at the older boy. "I'm going to miss you…" _More than you can imagine._

He gave her a nostalgic smile. "Elysium wouldn't be the same without you." Bianca thanked the gods that her skin was dark enough to hide her blush.

Lee took her hand in his and they both turned to face the swirling waters of the River Lethe.

"Together?" He asked. Bianca nodded.

"Together."

"On the count of three." Lee said. "One…Two…"

"Three."

Together, they jumped into the River Lethe.

_Dad… Mother…_ The faces of her parents flashed before Bianca's eyes. _Percy, Artemis, Zoë… _Bianca saw images from the quest: the giant Talos, her patron goddess, the starry sky. As cliché as it was, Bianca's past life was flashing before her eyes.

_Beckendorf and Silena…Michael… _Her friends that remained in the Underworld also flashed before her eyes, and they seemed to be waving goodbye. _Lee._ He was still holding her hand- and for that she was grateful.

_Nico. _Her younger brother's face stared back at her, not as he was now, dark and withdrawn, but as he was when she was alive. His face was not pale- instead it had a healthy, olive tone, and his dark eyes sparkled with excitement.

Names, faces, places, and events whirled past her mind in a blur.

_Dad. Mother._

Everything was beginning to fade into darkness.

_Lee, _Bianca's mind whispered.

_Nico. Nico di Angelo._

The last thing Bianca di Angelo felt before everything went black was Lee Fletcher's hand, still holding hers.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, I'm not entirely happy on how this came out… Bianca seemed a tiny bit OoC to me. I couldn't quite figure out what dead twelve-year old children of Hades think like, so I tried to make her a bit more mature, because in the fourth and fifth books when Nico spoke with her, she seemed more responsible and stuff. (Or maybe that was just me) But yeah, hope you liked it!**


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